ARTICLE XII.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
SEC. 150.
LIABILITY OF THE CITY AND LIMITATIONS THEREON

Before the City shall be liable for damages for the death or personal injuries of any person or for damage to or destruction of property of any kind, the person injured, if living, or his representatives, if dead, or the owner of the property injured or destroyed, shall give the City Manager or the City Clerk notice in writing (PDF) of such death, injury or destruction within ninety days after same has been sustained, stating in such written notice when, where and how the death, injury or destruction occurred, and the apparent extent of any such injury, and the amount of damages sustained; provided, however, that in no event shall the City be liable in damages to any one on account of any defect in, obstruction, on or anything else in connection with any sidewalk in the City. And provided, further, that in order to hold the City liable in damages to any one on account of any injury caused by any defect in, obstruction on, or anything else in connection with any street, alley or plaza, bridge, river bank, water course, or any public way, it must be shown that the City Manager, a member of the Council, or some person having superintendence or control of the work for the City had actual knowledge or actual notice of such defect, obstruction or other thing for a sufficient length of time before such injury was received, to have remedied or guarded against such condition of the street, alley or plaza before the injury was received.

The Office of the City Clerk is responsible for the preparation of all honorariums on behalf of the Mayor and City Councilmembers. Specific criteria for the issuance of documents has been established and the Ceremonials Coordinator will assess what type of honorarium, if any, can be issued. Preparation of certificates may be limited, as mass distribution leads to it losing its significance.

Ceremonial presentations by the Mayor are held at 5:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month, in the Council Chambers. The Ceremonials Coordinator is responsible for submitting all ceremonial presentation requests to the Mayor’s Office for approval.

Requests are to be submitted to the Office of the City Clerk at least one month prior to the function.

Ceremonial Options

CERTIFICATES

Certificates of Commendation, Appreciation, Congratulations, and Greetings/Welcome are prepared for events that are general in nature such as the Grand Opening of a Business, Wedding/Anniversary, Milestone Birthday, Reunion, Retirement, Eagle Scout, etc. All certificates are signed by the Mayor and occasionally contain dual signature with a respective Councilmember.

PROCLAMATIONS

Proclamations are prepared for organizations and/or their representatives in observance of a specific day, week or month, such as "Cancer Awareness Month," "Crime Prevention Week," "National Women’s Conference Day," etc. Proclamations are prepared for non-profit organizations or in connection with a milestone anniversary of the founding of a business, such as "H.E.B.’s 100th Anniversary." Proclamations are not prepared in recognition of an individual.

DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARD

The Distinguished Citizen Award was created to recognize one of our own citizens who has distinguished him/herself locally, state-wide, nationally, or internationally. It can be for a one-time action or for a series of actions that bring about positive recognition to the individual and the City of San Antonio.

HONORARY CITIZEN

The Honorary Citizen certificate proclaims an individual an honorary citizen of San Antonio and is prepared for a person visiting the City or someone accompanying a VIP. This certificate allows a little more flexibility in who may receive this compared to the Alcalde.

ALCALDE

An Alcalde is prepared for dignitaries and officials visiting our City and names the individual honorary Mayor of La Villita (the original San Antonio). This honor is limited to the leader of the delegation, head of the corporation, president of the organization, etc. Residents or those who previously resided in San Antonio at any time are not allowed to receive this document (including someone serving a tour of duty at a military base). The certificate is available in English or Spanish.

RESOLUTIONS

A Resolution of Appreciation is prepared for an individual or organization for a special contribution or an outstanding contribution. A Resolution of Respect is prepared and presented to the family of a deceased prominent citizen, Councilmember or Department Director. Both documents are approved by the City Council during a City Council Meeting.

EMISSARY OF THE MUSES

An Emissary of the Muses certificate is prepared for individuals or groups in the fields of entertainment and the arts who are visiting San Antonio. Residents of our City are not eligible to receive this honor. The certificate is available in English and Spanish.

CITATIONS

A Citation certificate is prepared for an individual or group in recognition of a local, state or national award. This honor acknowledges the accomplishment that also highlights our City, such as a 1st Place Award in a National Competition, a State Football Championship, or Teacher of the Year, etc.

CERTIFICATE OF HEROISM

The Heroism honorarium is prepared for an individual or group who performs a heroic action and/or risks their life to save a fellow human being.

CORPORATE CITIZEN/BENEFACTOR OF THE COMMUNITY

The Corporate Citizen certificate is prepared for an organization/business that has contributed greatly to the City of San Antonio and its citizens. It recognizes contributions and/or service that has been provided over a long period of time and is not intended to acknowledge a one-time or occasional action.

The Benefactor of the Community certificate is prepared for an individual who has made a major contribution to the City of San Antonio for the benefit of its citizens. As with the Corporate Citizen designation, this honor also recognizes contributions over a substantially long period of time.

Recipients of these honors are meticulously chosen since they require the person or organization to contribute or act for the public good, at a high level, over many years.

Requests are to be submitted to the Office of the City Clerk at least one month prior to the function.